Breaking away. . . but still carrying on their Auburn traditions.

Separated after Auburn, Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown are leading the way for their teams in the NFL. Sunday they meet on opposite sides.

October 14, 2005|By Chris Harry, Sentinel Staff Writer

TAMPA -- For four years, Eddie Gran had the best seat in the house for jaw-dropping displays of speed and power, breathtaking breakaway runs and stunning displays of grace and athleticism.

The things Carnell "Cadillac" Williams and Ronnie Brown did on the field were lightning strikes of energy for Gran, Auburn's running backs coach.

But those bolts often paled compared to the jolts of pride Gran felt watching Williams and Brown exult in one another's success.

"It was something that I'd never seen before and something I doubt I'll ever experience again," Gran said by phone this week. "It's hard to explain."

He tried.

"Eighty percent of our offense last year was those two in the backfield at the same time," Gran said. "Ronnie blocking for Carnell and Carnell feeding off the play. The two would come off the field, bouncing up and down, hugging each other. Our whole sideline -- the whole stadium -- would feel it.

"Next time out, it's Carnell throwing a block for Ronnie, and the whole scene playing over again. I'm telling you, for those two guys it was always the team first and their accolades second."

The team went 13-0 and finished No. 2 in the nation.

The accolades were many, and they culminated with Brown going second overall to the Miami Dolphins and Williams going fifth to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL draft in April.

Nearly six months later, they'll bolt and jolt from opposite sidelines Sunday when the Dolphins (2-2) and Bucs (4-1) clash at Raymond James Stadium.

"I want to be out there," said Williams, who missed last week's loss to the New York Jets and is listed as questionable with a sprained foot. "It would be special."

Said Brown: "If he can get out there, he'll be out there."

At Auburn, Williams rushed for 3,831 yards and 45 touchdowns. Brown totaled 2,707 yards and 28 touchdowns. While Williams, at 5 feet 11 and 217 pounds, was seen as the faster of the two, most pro scouts gave Brown the edge over his backfield mate because of his size (6-0, 232) and skills as both a receiver and blocker.

"We liked 'em both," Bucs Coach Jon Gruden said. "Everybody did."

Barely a month into the season, Williams is seventh in the NFL in rushing with 447 yards and two touchdowns. Brown, with 321 yards, has closed the gap on his friend by tallying 229 yards in the past two games.

Both coaches are delighted in how their draft-day scenarios played out.

"I'm not going to compare the two," Dolphins Coach Nick Saban said. "I'm happy with the guy we got and have tremendous respect for what `Cadillac' has done for his team."

"Their both great talents," Gruden said. "I just wish I was [Auburn Coach] Tommy Tuberville and had those guys for four years together."

Players helped each other

Brown, one of the top backs in the Southeast out of Cartersville, Ga., got to Auburn first, in 2000.

He redshirted as a true freshman and figured to fill the vacancy left when Rudi Johnson, now a starter with the Cincinnati Bengals, moved on.

But a player with a fancy nickname from Attalla, Ala., changed all that.

Williams was one of the hottest overall prospects in America, having rushed for 2,612 yards and 38 touchdowns as a prep senior.

The first time the two stepped on the field together in 2001, Williams didn't know what to expect from the guy whose job he wanted to take. He was surprised at the reception.

"Most guys, once you start competing, it's every man for himself," Williams recalled. "But Ronnie helped me and competed with me at the same time."

That went on for the next four seasons.

"Everything grew from there," Brown said. "I would've had opportunities to have a few more carries and do some different things [elsewhere], but I think it was helpful having somebody else in the backfield. It definitely helped me do some different things and show some versatility at the position."

Williams won the starting job as a true freshman in '01 but suffered season-ending injuries as a freshman and sophomore.

The competition was back on in the spring of '03.

"As time went by, we both understood things," Williams said. "I think that just goes to show what kind of people we are. He was a guy who kind of played behind [me], but we were both more like co-starters. He never complained. I never complained. It was a good situation for both of us."

And for Auburn.

Williams eclipsed the 1,000-yard milestone in 2003 and '04. And last season, the Williams-Brown friendship defined the unified and selfless Tigers during their first Southeastern Conference title run since 1989.

2 tough to stop

Saban, who was at LSU last year, was asked how his teams prepared for the 1-2 punch of Williams and Brown.

"Not very well," he said.

Saban took over as Dolphins coach in January and had a built-in advantage in assessing the two backs as the organization formulated a plan for that No. 2 overall pick.

Meanwhile, Gruden and his Bucs staff were coaching the South squad in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.